Ashland leans heavily Republican by roughly 48 points: about 26% of voters vote Democratic and 74% Republican.
About 93% of adults in Ashland typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Ashland, ~24% vote Democratic, ~69% Republican, and ~7% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Ashland compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Ashland leans more Republican than 25 of 60 neighbors.
Ashland runs about 60 points more Republican than Illinois as a whole. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Ashland is one of the few Republican-leaning pockets.
Politics vary noticeably by neighborhood within Ashland. The northwest side is the most Republican-leaning (R+56) and the east side is the least Republican-leaning (R+43), a spread of about 13 points.
Why Ashland leans the way it does
This analysis examined 14,881 data points per city to find what predicts political lean and turnout. The items below are a few correlations that stood out for Ashland, not a ranked or complete list of what matters most.
Ashland votes against the grain of Illinois. Illinois leans Democratic overall, while Ashland runs about 60 points more Republican. Dense places usually vote Democratic, but Ashland runs against that pattern.
Paved land cover and Democratic lean
Places with extensive paved surfaces tend to lean Democratic; Ashland, IL sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Paved ground does not change how people vote; it mostly reflects how urban and built-up a place is.
Why turnout in Ashland looks the way it does
Turnout in Ashland sits close to the national pattern. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Prentice, IL R+49
- Yatesville, IL R+52
- Tallula, IL R+54
- Richland, IL R+48
- Sinclair, IL R+50
- Literberry, IL R+49
- Pleasant Plains, IL R+41
- Alexander, IL R+54
- Newmansville, IL R+57
Cities with Similar Populations
- Long Beach, IN D+17
- New Deal, TX R+61
- State Line, MS R+15
- Brailey, OH R+43
- Ludlow Falls, OH R+65
- Peck, MI R+53
- Encinal, TX R+31
- Terrytown, NE R+39
- Echeconnee, GA R+30
- Glidden, IA R+56
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Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Illinois State Board of Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.